Article dispenser



M. QRFZUfiO ARTICLE DISPENSER w eh Z1,

3 She'cs-Sheet l Original Filed Dec.

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ATTORNEY ZAQGAQB M. @ARUSO ARTICLE DISPENSER s Sheets-Sheet 2 OriginalFiled Dec. 26, 1946 INVENTOR, Mae/a Qwuso.

Feb. 7, MSG M. @ARusQ ARTICLE DISPENSER 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Original FiledDec. 26, 1946 w w M Patented Feb. 7, 1950 ARTICLE DISPENSER MarioCaruso, Maplewood, N. J assignor to C-Eight Laboratories, Newark, N. J.

Original application December 2.6, 1946, Serial No. I 718,529. Dividedand this application December 10, 1947, Serial No. 790,841

3 Claims.

This invention relates to .article dispensers and represents one of thedivisions of co-pending application Serial No. 718,529 for Vendingmachine, filed by applicant December 26, 1946. While the presentinvention, as depicted in the aforementioned application, deals with adevice for dispensing what may be termed a secondary article from avending machine, its use and application may be independent of suchmachine.

The principal object of this device is to provide an article dispenserof a simple, inexpensive but very effective construction, particularlyin tended for handling goods or articles of a uniform size in severalcompartments or holders from which such articles may be dispensed inrotation from the different holders until all of the articles in allholders are exhausted.

A more specific object of the present invention is to provide an articledispenser composed of a series of uniformly-shaped article holders, eachholder being provided with an individual ejector, and wherein isemployed a common actuating mechanism for all the ejectors, whichmechanism is so arranged asto operate the ejectors of the individualholders in rotation, that is in succession, one at a time.

Another of the objects of the present invention is to provide in adevice of the class indicated, an ejector mechanism which operatesexteriorly to the article holder, and which ejector is provided with anejector member adapted, when moved in one direction, to engage and toeject the bottommost article from the holder, and, when operated inopposite direction, to lift, pass beneath and clear the then lowermostarticle in the holder.

The foregoing and numerous other objects and important advantages of thepresent invention will become more fully appreciated from the ensuingdescription, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, the latterrepresenting one of the presently preferred structural embodiments ofthisinvention, and whichdrawings are intended for explanatory purposesonly, without restricting the invention to the actual structure shown,and wherein:

Fig. l is a front elevation of a vending machine cabinet for housing anarticle ejector;

Fig. 2 is'a side elevation of such cabinet;

Fig. 3 is a vending machine employing the present article ejector, shownin front elevation, as one of its parts;

Fig. 4 is a fragmental illustration of the article ejector in rearelevation;

Fig. 5 isa section taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 4; and

2 Fig. 6 is a fragmental side elevation of the device, including meansfor operatin it.

Referring now specifically to the figures, numeral l0 denotes a cabinetwithin which is housed a vending machine mechanism, generally indicatedat H in Fig. 3, in front of which mechanism there is disposed anindependent article dispenser l2 forsupplying articles diiferent fromthose delivered by the vending machine. In case of a cigarette vendinmachine the independent article dispenser would contain matches, denotedat [3 in Figs. 3 to 6. Obviously, however, such independent articledispenser may be employed for any other commodity.

Referring now to Figs. 3 to 6, inclusive, the article dispenserillustrated consists of a plurality of substantially tubular orchannel-shaped in dividual holders l4, disposed in spaced and adjacentrelation to one another and being held permanently in that position by atransverse member [5. In the drawing this transverse member takes theshape of a relatively wide channel, but of course may be of any othersuitable construction. The web of the channel has a cutout l6. Extendingfrom the web of the channel and adjacent to the ends of cutout I6 arebearing brackets H, in which is lodged a shaft 18, the operation ofwhich will be explained presently.

Article holder Article holders I4 are designed to accommodate example,books of matches I3 are indicated as the articles to be dispensed. Sincethe shape of the books of matches is rectangular, the holders are of achannel construction, closed at three sides and open at the rear orback. The opening at the back extends throughout the height of theholder, and at the sides of the opening are provided two oppositelydisposed flanges l9 which serve for keeping the matches properlystacked. The space between the flanges facilitates the insertion of thearticles. At the bot tom end of the holders the ends of their side Websare bent inwardly to form spaced flanges 20 which. serve as supports forthe stacks of matches. Particular emphasis is placed on the spacebetween flanges 20.

Ejector Pivotally suspended from pins 2| extending outwardly from theside Webs of holders I4 is an ejector structure 22 comprising twosymmetrically arranged bell crank levers having downwardly directedlonger legs 23 and shorter upper legs 24, disposed substantially atright angles to legs 23. The two upper legs are bent toward one anotherto form a yoke adapted to embrace and operate exteriorly to the back webof holders H. The joined ends of the yoke form a rearward extension 26from which projects sidewise a pin 21 engaged by one end of a tensionspring 28, while the other end of the spring is secured to the upperflange 29 of transverse member l5. Spring 28 has the tendency tonormally urge extension 26 upwardly, whereby longer legs 23 of theejector are brought with their lower termini to a rearward position inrespect to the holders, as shown at right in Fig. 6.

Actuating shaft l-8, disposed in rear of the article holders I4, isprovided at one end with a ratchet adapted to be engaged by a springinduced pawl 30, secured at 3| to an oscillating lever 32 pivotedco-axially with shaft 18 and being adapted to be actuated by amotor-driven mechanism 33. Secured to shaft I8 are individual actuatingcranks or elements 34, one for each article holder. These elements areprovided with pins adapted for engagement with extensions 26 of theejectors. Engaging pins 35 are arranged in a circle about the shaft andare spaced at equal angular distances, corresponding and equal to thedistances between the teeth of ratchet 30. These elements or cranks areadjustable relative to shaft l 8 and are held at their proper positionby means of set screws or taper pins 36.

Referring again to the electors, the lowermost ends of longer legs 23are connected by means of article ejector members 31, composed of anejector plate 38 and an article liftin lip 39, as clearly seen in Fig.6.

In Figs. 3, 4 and 5 there are indicated five article holders l 4. Itwill be noted that the numaber of actuating elements or cranks 34corresponds to the number of article holders. It will be further notedfrom Fig. 6 that ratchet 30 is back to its full line position, pawl 30,engaging ratchet 30, turns the latter through an arc corresponding to afifth of a circle, thereby imparting that turning motion to shaft l8.During this movement the ejector actuating element or crank 34, which'has depressed extension 26 to its position I, now releases thatextension and permits spring 28 to function. Extension 26 is thussnapped to its upward position indicated at Ll, whereby the lower legs23 of the ejector are swung to the right or their rearward position.During that movement of legs 23 ejector plate 38 engages the lowermostbook of matches and ejects it from the holder.

Inasmuch as the device shown in Figs. 3 to 5 is composed of five articleholders, and since there are five ejector cranks 34 attached to shaftl8, and since these ejector cranks are arranged in a. circle and arespaced from each other at five equal circular distances, the ejection ofmatches will take place in successive rotation from holder to holder. Asstated, all of the individual ejectors for the several holders arenormally urged by springs 28 to assume position II. Only when extension26 of an ejector is depressed by its corresponding crank 34, theejectors will be placed in position I. Through the successive operationof depressing extensions 26, springs 28 are brought temporarily underadded tension, and when extensions 26 are released, the ejectors snap totheir normal position, thus forcibly electing the articles from theholders.

In recapitulation, the present article dispenser consists of a pluralityof individual article holders or magazines, each of the holders havingan individual article ejector operative exteriorly to the holder, all ofthe ejectors being operated by a common actuating mechanism havingindividprovided with five equally spaced teeth and that actuatingelements 34 are spaced at five equal circular distances from oneanother.

The number of article holders employed governs the number of teeth inthe ratchet wheel, the number of actuating elements, as well as thespacing of the ratchet teeth and the offset of the actuating elements.Thus when, for instance, three or six holders are used, the angulardistances between the ratchet teeth and the offset of the elements willbe either 120 or 60 degrees,

respectively.

Operation Referring to Fig. 6, during each movement of lever 32 from itsbroken line position to its full line position, pawl 30 movesratchet 30through an arc corresponding to one-fifth of a full circle, whereby allof the actuating elements or cranks 34 are moved through the same are.One of the actuating cranks will engage one of the extensions 26 anddepress the latter to a position shown at I in Fig. 6. At that positionof extension 26 the longer legs 23 of the ejector are swung to the leftor forwardly. During that forward movement of legs 23 lip 39 of thearticle ejector member 31, operative between article supporting flanges20, will engage the lowermost book of matches from beneath, lift thesame, and with it the entire stack of matches inthe holder, and thenmove below the lowermost book of matches to its outward, left position.

When lever 32 of the actuating mechanism has returned to its broken lineposition and is brought ual, uniformly spaced actuating elements forengaging individual article ejectors, the number of individual actuatingelements corresponding to the number of article holders, whereby theejection of the articles from the holders takes place in successiverotation from holder to holder so that one article is dispensed at atime.

The present device may be operated continuously and may be depended uponto deliver articles from the different holders as long as articles arecontained in at least one of the holders. Obviously, when, for instance,four of the five holders shown are empty, the ejector mechanism has tobe rotated five times in succession to deliver an article from the fifthfull holder.

The operating means, shown at right in Fig. 6, for alternately movingpawl lever 32 from one to its other position, obviously may besubstituted by any other suitable instrumentality.

While in the drawings five individual article holders are shown, andcorrespondingly five ejectors and five ejector actuating elements areindicated, the number of article holders and their co-related mechanismmay be decreased or increased. By the same token the structure of thedevice indicated may be subject to changes and improvements, dependingupon the articles to be dispensed and the location of the device. Havingthus described the present invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. In an article dispenser, a pluralit of bodily spaced, substantiallychannel-shaped, individual gravity-operated article-holding magazines,open in front and closed at the back, a flanged transverse memberconnecting the backs of the magazines, bearing brackets extending fromthe transverse member, an operating shaft journaled in these brackets,an article ejector for each magazine comprising a pair of symmetricallyarranged bell crank levers having downwardly directed, relatively longlegs and shorter upper legs, these upper legs forming a yoke embracingand operative externally to the back of the magazine, the yoke having arearward extension, a pin mounted at the side of the extension, atension spring extending between that pin and the flange of thetransverse member and being adapted to normally hold the long legs ofthe ejector in rearward position, an article ejector plate connectingthe long legs of the ejector, an article lifting lip fixedly secured tosaid plate; a ratchet wheel mounted at one end of the operating shaft, apawl-equipped oscillating lever pivoted co-axially with the shaft, itspawl adapted to engage said ratchet wheel, a motor-driven mechanismactuating said oscillating lever; a plurality of pinequipped cranks, onefor each magazine, mounted upon said shaft and adapted to engage inrotation the rearward extensions of the magazine electors.

2. In an article dispenser as per claim 1, said magazines having spacedarticle supports to facilitate the passage between them of the articlelifting lips and of the article ejector plates, when the long legs ofthe article ejectors are moved by Way of said cranks in a frontwarddirection, and

are returned by their respective tension springs to their normal,rearward position, during which latter movement articles are beingejected from the magazines.

3. In a motor-operated article dispenser, a plurality of spaced,substantially tubular gravityfed article magazines open in front andclosed at the rear, a motor-driven operating mechanism in rear of themagazines, a flanged transverse member spacing and connecting themagazines at their rear, an operating shaft extending along 2,103,367

said transverse member and having a ratchet wheel with teethcorresponding in number to that of the magazines, a pawl lever actuatedby said mechanism and being adapted to move said ratchet wheel one toothat a time, a plurality of cranks, mounted upon said shaft andcorresponding in number and their relative position to the teeth of saidratchet wheel, spaced article supports and individual article ejectorsfor each magazine, each ejector comprising a double bell crank leverarrangement having longer depending and shorter upper lever legs, acombination member for lifting and ejecting articles connecting the endsof the longer lever legs, and being adapted to freely pass between thespaced article support, the shorter lever legs forming a yoke compassingand being operative exteriorly to the rear of the magazine, a rearwardlydirected ejector actuating element extending from said yoke, a tensionspring disposed between said transverse member and said element fornormally holding said combination member in rearward position, saidcranks being adapted to engage the actuating elements of the articleejectors in rotation, thereby causing the combination members tomomentarily assume a forward position, whereby said tension springs arebrought under sufiicient tension to forcibly revert the combinationmembers to their normal, rearward position, while ejecting articles fromthe magazines.

MARIO CARUSO.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 740,159 Mills Sept. 29, 19031,009,265 Stern et a1. Nov. 21, 1911 Hoban Dec. 28, 1937

